---
image: /generated/articles-docs-editor-starter-faq.png
title: Frequently asked questions about the Editor Starter
sidebar_label: FAQ
crumb: Editor Starter
---

## Is this a video editor?

This is a starting point for building a video editor containing the essential features - it is meant to jumpstart someone else's mission of building a video editor!

## When should I buy the Editor Starter?

If you do not want to start building a video editor from scratch, then consider buying the Editor Starter.

Read the [Before you buy](/docs/editor-starter/before-you-buy) section and make sure the answer to every question is "yes".

We think the Editor Starter is a great choice for starting your video editor, but there are other options that involve Remotion as well:  
You can also [build a video editor from scratch with Remotion](/docs/building-a-timeline), or buy another [Remotion-based video editor](/docs/buy-a-video-editor).

## Do I still need to obtain a Remotion Company License if I buy the Editor Starter?

Since the Editor Starter uses Remotion, you still need to obey by the [Remotion License](/docs/license).

In short: Teams and companies with a headcount of 4 or more need to obtain a [Remotion Company License](https://remotion.pro/license) - read the license for more information.

## Can I integrate the Editor Starter into my existing app?

You should be able to copy one folder into your existing React project and get the frontend parts of the Editor Starter working out of the box.

We assume the most popular stack: React 19, TypeScript, TailwindCSS.

A few framework-specific backend endpoints are required.  
The template itself is a React Router 7 project.  
We also provide copy-pasteable backend endpoints for Next.js.

Read the [Setup](/docs/editor-starter/setup) and [Dependencies](/docs/editor-starter/dependencies) sections to get a better idea of how to integrate the Editor Starter into your existing project.

## Will the Editor Starter conflict with my existing shadcn/ui theme?

If your project already uses shadcn/ui with custom theme configuration, conflicts are unlikely unless you've made external modifications to your Tailwind theme.

The Editor Starter uses some shadcn components but doesn't include a custom theme implementation. Since the Editor Starter has minimal CSS variables defined, integration should be relatively straightforward.

Potential issues primarily arise only if you've customized Tailwind's theme configuration outside of standard approaches.

## Feature X is missing, can you add it?

Don't assume that we will add features, even crucial ones, to the Editor Starter that are not listed in the [Features](/docs/editor-starter/features) section.  
Especially if the feature is listed on the [Features not included](/docs/editor-starter/features-not-included) page.

That being said, we do plan to maintain and enhance the Editor Starter where it makes sense.

## Should I buy the Timeline component or the Editor Starter?

The [Timeline](/docs/timeline) component is good if you are just requiring a timeline and would like to build the rest around it.

The Editor Starter also has a timeline, but also more features that are good to have in a video editor:

- Zoomable Canvas
- Captioning
- Exporting
- Asset uploading and local caching
- Font Picker
- Undo Stack

## How can I update the Editor Starter?

By allowing you to customize the entire source code to your needs, we expect that your editor will quickly diverge from our starter, making it hard in general to update the Editor once you have forked it.

If you fork the Editor Starter, you have the option to pull in our upstream changes using the GitHub UI that shows up at the top of your repository main page.

If you copy the Editor Starter into your project, you have to manually compare the changes that we made to the template since the point where you copied the code.

You should only use the Editor Starter if you feel comfortable adopting the whole codebase and be able to maintain it and if you are happy with the feature set that it comes with.  
Because of this, we only include features we deem are robust, and [documented them all](/docs/editor-starter/features).

We will continously add new features and improvements, so there is never a perfect point in time to start using it.

## I have bought the Timeline component, can I upgrade to the Editor Starter?

If you have already bought the [Timeline](/docs/timeline) and also the Editor Starter, you are eligible for a full refund on the Timeline component.

Buy from the same email address and then contact us at [hi@remotion.dev](mailto:hi@remotion.dev) from the email address you used to buy the Timeline.

## Does this use client-side rendering / WebCodecs?

No, the rendering happens using [Remotion Lambda](/docs/editor-starter/rendering).  
That being said, our goal is to in the future make a mode where the video can be rendered on the client-side.

No timeline is available for this - we recommend that you only make a purchase if the current state is a fit for you!

## Do I have to use Remotion Lambda?

The default template can be deployed in a fully serverless fashion.  
If you want to render on a long-running server, you can modify the architecture to use the Remotion [Server-side rendering](/docs/ssr) APIs:

- Copy the [frontend code](/docs/editor-starter/setup) into your existing project
- For the [backend routes](/docs/editor-starter/backend-routes), implement them in your long-running server. For how to implement the rendering endpoints, you can take the [Render Server](/templates/render-server) as a reference.

## Can I export the videos generated with the Editor Starter as Remotion compositions?

The Editor Starter previews and renders it's videos using the regular Remotion APIs.  
The state is stored as a JSON and being fed as [input props](/docs/terminology/input-props) to the [`<Player />`](/docs/player) and [`renderMediaOnLambda()`](/docs/lambda/rendermediaonlambda).

So yes, the Editor Starter produces just Remotion compositions and they can also be rendered if they are decoupled from the editor user interface.

The Remotion composition that powers the Editor Starter is located in the `src/remotion` folder of the project.  
You can also use the [`npx remotion studio`](/docs/cli/studio) and [`npx remotion render`](/docs/cli/studio) commands as usual.

## Can I get an evaluation license for the Remotion Editor Starter?

The Editor Starter does not use a licensing model, it is a Remotion template that after a one-time purchase can be used indefinitely - by any Remotion user, whether they fall under the free license or company license.

This makes it hard for us to provide evaluation copies because there is no way to revoke access to the code and ideas once it has been given. 

It would also make offering this product unsustainable - we don’t want to sugarcoat the truth: 90% of users will give up when realizing the complexity of building a video product or fail on their way to build it. This is already priced in.

We want to sell this template only to users who are committed in their attempt to build a video editor with Remotion. They need to commit to the price, but we’ll support them continuously afterwards should anything not match their expectations.

To evaluate whether the Editor Starter is for you:

- Use the extensive [docs](/docs/editor-starter)
- Try the [demo](/docs/editor-starter/demo)
- Ask us any questions before buying it.

## Is Remotion launching its own video editor?

No - we hope to enable developers to launch their own products rather than entering the space ourselves.

### Why not?

From the beginning, we have been focused on solving problems for developers.  
This is our distinct strength and we do not want to distract ourselves away from it.

In order to launch a successful video editor, you need to invest a lot into marketing and communication.  
This is just not our strength, so launching a template allows us focus on our core competency: video technology.

## See also

- [Before you buy](/docs/editor-starter/before-you-buy)
